Home > Consumer Reviews > Kenwood HTB-S610 Home Theater System

This is my first HTB system, so my rating might be a tad high. However, the unit seems to do everything I would want, has good documentation, color coded wires and speakers, etc. and the subwoofer can really shake the walls.

I'm using a pair of Bose 201's up front and moved the supplied fronts (with 2 cones) to the rear (single cones). Although the supplied wires are color-coded and very long for easy hookup and seem to do the job, they are pretty thin, so I spent another $10 on a roll of heavier wire.

You will want to take the time to fine-tune the settings for each speaker (including the distance from the listening position), then sit back and enjoy. There are some minor functions I have not gotten to yet.

The "wireless" is a bit deceiving as there are wires - lots and lots :-). However, it refers to the (wireless) RF transmitter which sends a signal to the receiver used for the rear speakers. So yes, the fronts, sub-woofer and RF transmitter are wired to the main receiver, and the rears with the RF receiver are wired together. The main point and objective is that you are not tripping over wires going from one side of the room to the other.

No doubt there are more powerful units with mega functions for the true audiophile, but this is a great reasonably-priced (under 375 with rebate) unit.

I got mine a couple of days ago...

At first, I was a little disappointed as the system is actually not "WIRELESS" in the sense that: 1)The front left, front right, and center speakers are wired like any other system. 2)You still need to wire the rear speakers to a wireless transmitter. So basically, it is not wireless!!!

However, I am very satisfied with the sound quality for a 600 (500 if you use the wireless transmitter) watts system... the subwoofer is powerful!! the sound are all crystal clear... For that amount of money, it is a must buy...

Also it looks good too!!

Cheers.

The Kenwood HTB-S610 delivers on its promise. After spending the hour or so setting up the system after installation (highly recommended), the system was tuned exactly to my individual room layout. This system has the power to fill an 18 x 35 foot great room with vaulted ceiling with ground pounding sound! The sound is crystal clear across the frequency spectrum, and the numerous "listening modes" add to the experience. All this, and I didn't have to run wires for the surround speakers. The wireless transmitter/receiver combination work flawlessly. This is a must buy for anyone looking for a HTIB that has it all.

The product description used by Amazon is misleading. The description seems to make a big deal out of touting the idea of a wireless system. The only "wireless" part is the two boxes with antennas only used if you buy another two speakers and create a Dolby 7.1 environment.

As it is, the five speakers that DO come with the unit are wired. There are also NO mounting brackets for the walls like with other systems. I had to spend another $60 for those.

My center speaker is making a sound like the actors in movies talking through tissue paper.

I called J&R Electronics, who Amazon sends your order to. They could not help me and suggested I return it to Amazon or call Kenwood. Kenwood left me on hold for 40 minutes before telling me the same.

I am disappointed. But I see that many other people are enjoying this unit so I will mess with the settings a little more and see what I can do....

After much exploration and research, I decided to buy this system because of the excellent reviews on Amazon and the few elsewhere. One of my main concerns was the need for running wires from the main receiver to the surround speakers across the room. The Kenwood HTB-S610 solves this problem brilliantly by including a transmitter and receiver specifically for the surround speakers so that you don't have to run wires under the carpeting or around baseboards or through the ceiling. The transmitter is connected to the front receiver and you still have to have wires from the second receiver to the surround speakers, but this is only a minor issue. Other systems such as Panasonic and Sony have wireless surround speaker systems, but not for the same price range.

The Kenwood HTB-S610 was relatively easy and straightforward to wire and connect to my television and DVD player. You can also connect up other video or recorders. The directions are a little cryptic, but you can download the owner's manuals from Crutchfield.com beforehand and this is probably a good idea to help you become familiar with how the system operates.

Sound quality is excellent, once you've completed the various settings for the speakers using the remote and the enclosed directions. It makes a tremendous difference in terms of the home theater experience to be able to hear all of the background sounds and music and special effects coming not just from the front speakers, but from beside and behind you (depending on where you put the surround speakers). I replaced my old stereo speakers, receiver, CD player and tape deck with this system and the DVD player. I would highly recommend switching to surround sound now with this system, especially with the wireless surround speaker transmitter and receiver which solves the across-the-room wiring problem. This is the best investment I've made in terms of improvement to my home theater setup. It sounds great!